Extracts from Stratfor Emails released prior to 4th March, 2011 relating to Australia, Julian Assange, his family and WikiLeaks

There’s a need to keep reminding Australians of the active role Australia has played in the plight of Julian Assange and that his family were not to be excused from their cruel schemes. Many quotes used by John Pilger on Sunday 17th June at the Sydney rally for Julian are from this release .

CEO George Friedmen responds: “It is possible to revoke citizenship on the grounds of being a dickhead except in Australia, where all of Queensland and a good part of South Australia, along with all of Sydney Uni would lose their passports.” Email-ID1050427 http://wikileaks.org/Stratfor-on-the-Australian-Assange.html

In another email, a former Australian Senator from Queensland, William (Bill) O’Chee cheers Assange’s London arrest. O’Chee writes to Fred Burton, Stratfor’s Vice-President for Counterterrorism and Corporate Security, and a former Deputy Chief of the Department of State’s (DoS) counterterrorism division for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS): “Hooray!… Sadly [Assange] didn’t have a car accident on the way there.” Email-ID 370352 http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/370352_re-julian-assange-arrest-.html

The AFP statement forced Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, to backtrack on her earlier public comments that the Wikileaks publication of the embassy cables was “illegal.”

Gillard continued refusal to formerly recant her “illegal” statement, as well her later, higly prejudicial remarks that that the WikiLeaks disclosures were “an illegal act that breached the laws of the United States of America” have gravely endangered Assange, especially in light of the recent WikiLeaks disclosure, obtained in another confidential Stratfor email, that the US has had a secret indictment against WikiLeaks for more than 12 months. Stratfor Email-ID 375123 http://wikileaks.org/Stratfor-on-the-Australian-Assange.html

In a late 2010 email exchange with George Friedman, Stratfor CEO and founder, Farnham writes, “BTW, close family friend in Sweden who knows the girl that is pressing charges tells me that there is absolutely nothing behind it other than prosecutors that are looking to make a name for themselves. My friend speaks rather disparagingly about the girl who is claiming molestation. I also think the whole rape thing is incorrect for if I remember correctly rape was never the charge.” Email-ID1657727 http://wikileaks.org/Stratfor-Sydney-Based-Watch.html

Assange has not been indicted in the Swedish case, but recently released emails have revealed that the United States Government has had a secret inditement against the WikiLeaks founder for more than twelve months: “Not for Pub — We have a sealed indictment on Assange. Pls protect.” Email-ID 375123 http://wikileaks.org/Stratfor-Sydney-Based-Watch.html

At this point, with the legitimacy of state and economy at historic lows, the three major blows of WikiLeaks have decisively shifted the power relationship between information on the one hand, and state/economy on the other. From the other end, the nations are rebelling. “Peoples of Europe, rise up” the Greek Communist Party’s slogan hung from the Acropolis chimes with WikiLeaks material and categorical challenge to the very fabric of state power, as expressed in the notion of “inviolable diplomaticcommunication”. http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1675721_re-wikileaks-and-second-wave-of-financial-crisis-.html

Is it possible to revoke some one’s citizenship on the grounds of them being a total dickhead? I don’t care about the other leaks but the ones he has made that potentially damage Australian interests upset me. If I thought I could switch this dickhead off without getting done

I don’t think I’d have too much of a problem. BTW, close family friend in Sweden who knows the girl that is pressing charges tells me that there is absolutely nothing behind it other than prosecutors that are looking to make a name for themselves. My friend speaks rather disparagingly about the girl who is claiming molestation. I also think the whole rape thing is incorrect for if I remember correctly rape was never the charge. Email-ID 1050427 http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1050427_re-assange-is-off-the-hook-.html

Let’s say the following scenario happens. Assange is arrested and extradicted to Sweden to face rape charges. Wikileaks releases the password to the insurance files. Would he not then be directly endangering U.S. and other country intelligence professionals? Would it not then be possible to prosecute him for espionage? Email-ID 1050427 http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1050427_re-assange-is-off-the-hook-.html

Basic fact is that any move to arrest the guy (assuming they get an indictment for him) would require that a friendly government do it and then extradite him. Nick Miller told me the Australians have already offered to do this, as Assange is an Australian citizen, and Australia is the Canada of the southern hemisphere when it comes to its relations with the US.

Not sure that’s happening re Oz; federal police have opened up an investigation to see whether or not any Australian criminal laws were broken. – where did Nick get the insight about an agreed extradition – there is nothing about this on OS and of course it would mean Assange would have to come home first. Something he is very unlikely to do. Gov Gen hasn’t ruled out canceling his passport incidentally. His mother has recently been interviewed by the ABC and she is scared that he will be “hunted down and jailed”… will make it difficult to pursue the scenario painted below. Australians are likely to back him. You wouldn’t believe how much press/public sentiment david hicks created in Guantanamo Bay. It really forced the Howard govt to change tactics…esp when polling results overall were so poor.** http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1031974_re-info-wiki-founder-.html

How would it work if the US wanted to catch such a high profile target like this? Despite what one Republican senator may have said the other day (can’t remember who, or if it was even a senator), he’s not a “terrorist,” and so rendition….. wouldn’t really be an option. But legally, you’d have to have the host government’s cooperation. Is there any way aside from that scenario that could lead to his arrest on charges of breaking US laws?

“[Y]ou have to take control of him. Control means financial, sexual or psychological control… This is intended to start our conversation on your next phase” – CEO George Friedman to Stratfor analyst Reva Bhalla on 6 December 2011, on how to exploit an Israeli intelligence informant providing information on the medical condition of the President of Venezuala, Hugo Chavez. http://wikileaks.org/the-gifiles.html

Marko Papic wrote:

Nate makes a good point. The arrest is not necessarily the end of Julian Assange. He could become a martyr in jail, particularly a Swedish jail, which I imagine has better amenities than my house.

On 12/7/10 7:38 AM, Fred Burton wrote:

Will take weeks for extradition, unless he waves the process. DOJ (Holder) won’t seek prosecution on their own, but look for the GOP (Congress) to press for criminal prosecution. Be easy to indict. I would pursue Conspiracy and Political Terrorism charges and declassify the death of a source someone which I could link to Wiki. http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1056763_re-discussion-assange-arrested-.html

In an interview with an Australian newspaper, Mr Assange’s mother defended her son and lambasted hawks in the US who have called for his death.

Ms Assange, who runs a puppet theatre in Noosa, a Queensland beach resort, defended her son’s decision to publish thousands of classified US documents on the website. “He sees what he’s doing as doing a good thing in the world â€“ fighting baddies, if you like,” she told Queensland’s Courier-Mail.

We probably asked the ASIS to monitor Wiki coms and email, after the soldier from Potomac was nabbed. So, its reasonable to assume we probably already know who has done it. The delay could be figuring out how to declassify and use the Aussie intel on Wiki. Wiki holding on to other docs is to protect their sources. The owner is a peacenik. He needs his head dunked in a full toilet bowl at Gitmo. http://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/364817_fw-ct-fw-guidance-on-the-leaks-.html

Let’s say the following scenario happens. Assange is arrested and extradicted to Sweden to face rape charges. Wikileaks releases the password to the insurance files. Would he not then be directly endangering U.S. and other country intelligence professionals? Would it not then be possible to prosecute him for espionage? http://www.wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/1657261_re-assange-is-off-the-hook-.html

I came up with some more thoughts/points while discussing this with Sean:

The general guess is that Insurance contains the remaining 15k Afghan docs, but it could either be something more damaging or total bluff. o In any case the US govt wouldn’t want to risk public dissemination. Which means they can’t really arrest him, kill him or send him to a relaxation spa in Cuba or Poland.

o Therefore Assange’s life/liberty is somewhat important for US national security.

o Pushing this reasoning forward, killing Assange would be detrimental for the US.

o I don’t know who would benefit from further leaks and political shitstorms in the US, but that person/government may have it in them to cap Assange.

What a douche. And I just want to be clear here… I have no problem with the leaks. I think they’re great. And I think it may be good on some level to have stuff like this come out once in a while. What I can’t stand is A) his ego trip and B) his clear anti-Americanism. Take the time to read the intro to Cablegate when you get the chance. This guy hates America more than OBL. What I love, however, is how nobody in the U.S. is mad about the cables. Hell, I have a better opinion of State Department diplomats now than I did before the cables. They actually said a few smart things here and there. I actually gave them a tip of my hat.

A hero? Avaaz is right. It’s not illegal but it does make you accessory to being an asshole. Real people are being tortured by governments that Avaaz and Assange probably like more than the US, all the while the two of them denounce US ‘torture’ at Guantanamo. They are like the crazy IPS/CISPES/SDS people who were so full of hate that they could not see that they are doing so much more bad than they at doing good. I’m in favor of using whatever trumped up charge is available to get this guy and his servers off the streets. And I’d feed that shit head soldier to the first pack of wild dogs I could find. Or perhaps just do to him whatever the Iranians are doing to our sources there. http://www.wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/389793_.html